Farmers’ Suicides and Psychosocial Intervention

Abstract

Farmers’ suicides in India, exemplifying the agrarian crisis, have been a contemporary cause of grave concern. The Vidarbha Psychosocial Support and Care Program (VPSCP) in western India is an example of a psychosocial intervention being implemented to address the psychological consequences of adverse circumstances triggered by the agrarian distress of farmers through a multi-pronged strategy of delivery of mental health care services to those in need dovetailed with livelihood/employment support schemes. This article, which forms part of a larger evaluation carried out on the impact and effectiveness of the VPSCP, focuses primarily on the process and functioning of the programme; its strengths and challenges through the perspectives of key stakeholders; and perceptions of psychosocial stress in the community. Although firmer linkages with the government health care programme and with employment support/welfare schemes is needed, the VPSCP can be taken as a viable template for the integration of socio-economic determinants and mental health concerns in the agrarian context in order to reduce the incidence of suicide.